Undoubtedly the biggest day in the French calendar, Bastille Day commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution when King Louis XVI was disposed of.

Known as ‘Le quatorze juillet’ in French, the Bastille was a fortress and prison in Paris which represented royal authority.

An artist’s impression of the storming of the Bastille

The revolutionaries, angered by the way their country was being run, stormed the fortress. The revolutionary feeling was so rife, even the king’s support guards turned on the monarchy and helped the mob sack the Bastille. And so, the French Revolution had begun.

The day is now a French national holiday and every year it is celebrated with fireworks from the Eiffel tower, parades around major cities and traditional French cuisine.